Blue Moon

I had a spare couple of hours this morning so made an ATC for the swap on MAMMA. The challenge was to use a backgournd of your choice and there must be fabric, a traingle shape and some metal incorporated into your piece.

I used slate and silver mixative alcohol inks for the background and cut out a triangle of blue 'tie dyed' fabric which I glued to the left of the piece of card. I copvered the ATC with some 'moondust mesh' then made a fimo face. I painted the face with Tropic Blue mica powders and highlighted the eyes and mouth with a silver pen. I stuck the face into a bottle cap and added some blue seed beads for definition. Finally, I put the silver bead spray embellishment to imitate shooting stars and stuck on some small fabric silver stars.

We were not supposed to use metal brads but I hope I can be forgiven for the large silver one as it was the only way I could think of to secure the bead spray!

Dragonflies.

Been very hot again today.... I've been playing near York (a couple of hours drive away from home) and it was really too hot to be on a bowling green. When I say 'playing' I use the term loosely - Today was not one of my better days...... but there you go, game's gone now and there's nothing I can do about it... but it does make me feel bad when I think I let my team mates down.

Anyway, enough of the self pity!

The theme at Big Art Adventure this months is 'Dazzling Dragonflies'.

My card stock has recently become very depleted so I took the opportunity to make a greeting card.

The background paper is from Elusive Images and the dragonfly stamp was courtesy of this month's Craft Stamper magazine. I stamped the image in white ink onto some vellum. Once dry, I cut the images out and added the tiny pink beads for the dragonfly's body, then used some glitter round the edges of the wings. The glitter caused the wings to curl slightly but I like the effect so I've left it!

Finally I layered some fabric flowers in co ordinating colours and added some ribbon.

Bunny Bond

Once again my friends at MAD Mamma (Monthly Art Doll) will have seen this but I realised I hadn't posted it on my blog and it fits the challenge from theme of 'Playful Dolls' from Mixed Media Monday this week.

Bunny Bond was made from a paper template and given a black felt jacket complete with tiny bow tie and a row of gold 'buttons'. His face was coloured with watercolours and his shoes done in acrylic paint to make them look like shiny patent leather! The bottom part of his body was cut from black pearlised card

As Bunny is a super spy, he comes with his own gun and an accompanying 'Licence to Kill' ATC!

I know I know... MAD Mamma group is aptly named....

One I made earlier!

I have had major problems the last week accessing my blog! Had tried absolutely everything... (well not quite... I DID manage to resist the 'resort to hitting PC with hammer' urges.....JUST!) The darn thing let me open the page but not sign in.. and then when it let me sign in, it locked the PC.

After much frustration and a few more grey hairs OH said it might be the playlist.... apparently there is some legal dispute going on in USA about the playlist ..... so finally we managed to get onto the blog dashboard long enough for me to delete my much loved (by me) music. Since the playlist has gone I've had no problems.... so am hoping that OH can find another music gadget for me to add (I know some of you find the music annoying, but some people have said they like it!) and also that I have no more problems getting on the blog!

Right that's enough explanation of my absence.... (bowling season still busy too....) and I have spent the last hour trawling through the challenge sites to see what I've missed - which is a lot!

My friends at Flickr will have seen this ATC before - but as the theme on So Artful was 'gypsy', I decided to post this on my blog and enter it into June's challenge!

Men and Numbers

Two challenge sites this week, Tuesday Taggers and Saturday Surprise had themes of Men/Male and Mixed Media Monday's theme was Numbers so I incorporated both into this ATC!

I used a page torn from an old dictionary showing decimal numbers and coloured by sponging distress inks. The 'Real Gentlemen' image was stamped onto some thick card, sponged with inks and some gold mica powder added round the edges, then I added a further edge using a stazon ink pad. I used the same distress ink on the tag, then stamped the numbers on the background and the tag before adding the few fibres. Finally, I put a small pocket watch embellishment on the ATC.

A Caged Bird

Whilst I was trying to concentrate on creativity I remembered this pic so I applied myself to making an ATC as I have wanted to use this image for a while.

The background is courtesy of Flickr and the little hazy blue bird reminds me of Summer - (which I hope is coming soon 'cos it's raining again!).

The bird cage is printed onto a transparency and I cut round it. I always find fixing transparencies a challenge as if you don't get them tight enough the image is blurred! I opted to secure the top of this with an eyelet and I used some glue intended for jewellery to fix the bottom and thankfully it dried clear. The chain was added and fixed with a brad.

Art Creations Friday supplied this gorgeous textured background for todays challenge.

I added some lace and ribbon and a lace flower secured with a pale pink pearl brad.

I wanted to keep the overall 'textured' look of the background and after experimenting in edging a small section with embossing powder (unsuccessful!!) I reverted back to the 'torn tissue paper covered with acrylic paint then blasted with a heat gun' technique!

This is my first challenge for a while - and at least I feel I spent the little spare time I had doing something!

It's been very difficult to find any inspiration - it's not that I don't want to craft because I do, it's just that my mind is full of other things and I cannot push all the other things that are going on to one side in my head and let any creativity see the light of day - there are too many teams to pick, games to play and lots of County Administration. In a way I want September to come then I can get back to just being messy on the desk instead of having to be organised!

Still alive and kicking!

I received an e mail today from a fellow blogger who asked if I was OK as it was over a week since I posted anything on my blog! I'm flattered that I've been missed!

I suppose everyone (me included) has been used to me posting so frequently during the winter months that it's only natural they wonder what I'm up to during the summer!

Although the weather took a downward turn the bowling doesn't stop - we played in Yorkshire last Thursday (cold, windy but dry), had a visit from a Welsh ladies touring team Friday and Saturday at Manchester and Southport (cold and raining), played in a County Pairs event on Sunday morning and afternoon at Southport (windy, dry but cold), then went to my home Club in Bolton to play in a National Mixed Fours (windy and cold), went to watch some of the men from my Club play last night (freezing cold) and today - well today I have had a much needed day off. You may have detected the theme here though - cold is not what kind of weather I want in June!!!

I have done some crafting in between - I started a project at the beginning of last week and finished it today. I cannot post it though as it's a birthday present and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise! So once the recipient has opened it I will put a pic on here then you can all see I haven't been 'craft-less'!

In the meantime, here's a card I made for a friend using oriental papers and tags.

Nice Day for a White Wedding?

Today has been a beautiful day here in the North of England - just perfect for a white wedding! (Or a wedding of any colour!)

This pic is another which you need to click on and enlarge to see. I really must sharpen my photography skills!

Margaret set us a challenge of making a 'White' ATC for MAMMA this week, - I had several ideas, White Christmas, White Diamonds and White Wedding.

I remembered this image of the 'bride with no dress' (!) from the Flickr group and thought I would try and base an ATC round it.

The 'My Trousseau' background is also courtesy of Flickr.

I added some lace, two 'silver'rings, a heart gem ,a shoe and some ribbon and tulle secured with a pearl brad.

If this was her actual wedding outfit I wonder what the groom wore??????

Key to the Heart?

I am a member of a monthly altered art group and the challenge this month was to alter a key.

This is my first attempt.

The back of the key can be seen on my Flickr photstream here

I painted the key with black acrylic paint, then dabbed some of it off using a paper towel - some parts of the pic make the key and charm look red but this is due to me wearing a red shirt when I took the photo!

I used two silver filigree circles front and back. On the front I used a silver rimmed black button and glued on a pink heart gem. The lace was stuck on for no other reason other than it was lying on my desk and destined for the bin - waste not want not!!!

I am not sure if the addition of the two plastic leaves were a good idea as they are not particularly strong, but I liked the irridescent effect so decided to take the risk. I stamped the 'woman of spirit' image onto shrink plastic and panicked as usual when it began to curl up before it flattened out again - I added it and the silver cherub charm using silver chain.

The back of the key has the same silver filigree and lace scrap and I have added some pink gems. I am feeling quite relieved that today I have finally managed to make something - but also feeling guilty that I should have been catching up with the dreaded chores!

Not to worry - the dust will still be there next week won't it????

Peace

You really do need to click on this picture to see it properly!

Gothic Arches had a theme of 'Peace' this week. It seems such an age since I entered an arch into a challenge so thought I would give this one a go - it will then become another page in my gothic arch book!

The quote 'Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God' seemed apt and I tried to construct the arch around it.

I collaged the two Forces statues (obtained from Google!), the background was stamped with versamark ink and I cut up a paper flower for the 'petals'. The tiny beaded wire angel was one of several of varying sizes brought home for me by my Mum some time ago when she went on a visit to Prague - she says every time she sees these angels she remembers how her wheelchair bumped across the cobbled streets!

I am not completely happy with this effort - it has been so long since I have had any ideas and this has not turned out as well as I'd hoped. There appears to be something missing but don't know what!

Hope the inspiration returns soon.

Normal service has resumed.........

At least I hope it has!! Have been without a full broadband connection since last Wednesday and I wouldn't have believed how annoyingly irritating the last week has been. I have felt bereft without being able to speak to all the friends I have made here in blogland and cyberspace. I could read and send e mails with the aid of a mobile broadband dongle thingy but couldn't do anything else!
I've had the dear husband ranting and raving at the ISP every day for a week (not only on my behalf I might add... he's been unable to sink submarines or shoot anyone with all his 'clan' friends which has made him extremely tetchy!). The dear husband is a computer whizz and has been telling the ISP that the fault was at their end not here.... finally this morning they sent an engineer round to the house....OH told the ISP that the engineer was wasting his time.... miraculously once the engineer arrived our internet connected without him doing anything!!!!!!!!!!!! Spooky??? Or just the ISP deciding that dear husband was right?????
Right, enough of the internet problems...
In the absence of connection I've been at a bowling green somewhere in the country nearly every day and have had no inspiration for any crafting (probably cos I was too irritated!). My County Team recorded their first win in the first inter County game of the season which reminded them that they achieved the impossible last year and won this Inter County league ! Hopefully the Team Manager (Me) can keep all their spirits up - there's a long way to go and there's bound to be a few slip ups on the way!
I have posted a pic of an ATC I made under the term 'fiddling about' (which is what I do when I have no inclination or ideas to make anything meaningful!). It's a sponged ink backgound with an oriental style stamp and a pretty oriental facial image printed on vellum then mounted on card. A few fibres etc added to give some depth. Not one of my more adventurous efforts but wanted to post a pic!!!

Faces

I know it's a week since I posted - I have suffered from severe crafting withdrawal symptoms as I have had very little free time - and what free time I have had I've spent selecting teams for forthcoming games and when I'd finished that I was just too tired to do anything!

I did however manage to scrape a win last Saturday in our first event of the season! If you want to look at a pic follow this link!

As I've had no crafting time this is something that I made a few weeks ago and didn't get round to posting on here - it was made for a jigsaw charm swap. You could send a 'stand alone' jiggy charm to be put onto a bracelet or a charm mounted onto an ATC, and the swap host would send you soemthing similar in return.

I am not very good with small jiggy bits!!! Only large ones!

I wasn't particularly confident of being able to produce something that would be good enough for attaching to a bracelet, so I decided to put the jigsaw piece onto an ATC. The background is a paper collage of various cities, I stamped the face image onto the acrylic painted jigsaw piece and coloured it before applying a couple of coats of glaze and once dry then added the charm at the bottom.

As I haven't entered any challenges for ages, I have submitted this into the 'Lots to Do' challenge this week who's theme is 'Faces'.

On Safari

Just been doing bits and bobs lately and nothing particularly creative or constructive!

I made this ATC at the weekend.

I used two different mediums for the background, imitation fur skin sent to me some time ago by a crafting mate Sassy - it has a lovely soft feel to it (a bit like stroking a cat!) and a strip of some patterned paper which co ordinated with the main zebra image.

I mounted the zebra on card then used 3d foam pads to raise it.

The beads are from a set in my stash and I finally managed to stamp a word into Sculpey clay that you could read! I covered the clay with gold ink and added a few fibres.

Da Vinci's Dreams

Theme Thursday's challenge was 'Famous Faces'

I have done a paper collage ATC in a tribute to Da Vinci.

Although Mona is a beautiful portrait, I think Da Vinci was an amazing scientist as well as a fabulous painter, and definitley born well ahead of his time!

Egypt

It's been a lovely day here, lots of sunshine - fingers crossed the sunshine stays with us for tomorrow as it is our 'Official' Club Opening Day!

I started this ATC last night and finished it this morning. It wasn't made for a challenge or anything, merely made because I have done so little in creative mode just recently.

I covered the ATC in brown mulberry paper and then distressed using a cream versamark ink. I then added the hieroglyphic printed paper attaching with 3d foam.

I have hardly used this set of stamps from Hero Arts so decided to give at least one of them a try! I stamped it onto black paper and then gold embossed, I think it's turned out OK! Again this was attached with 3d foam. I randomly gold embossed the entire ATC before threading the beads onto wire and glueing in place. I chose blue, black and gold as these colours always remind me of Tutankhamun's mask.

To complete the ATC I used a black cat brad, a 'coin' and glued on a couple more loose beads in the same colours.

Tea Time!

Not much spare time again this week to craft but have made a couple of ATC's to stave off the crafting withdrawal symptoms!

'Glamour Girls' is the challenge at this week's Theme Thursday.

Here's my entry!

(I have been unable to post my link on the Theme Thursday site - don't know why!!! But I confess to feeling a little frustrated about it this morning!" Never mind, at least I got to take part in the challenge even if no one from the site can see it!)

Sew Time

My blog posts today are like buses....... you wait ages for one to come along, then two arrive together!

I kept my promise to myself to make something tonight after being 'craft less' for nearly a week and here it is!

The challenge on Theme Thursday was 'Sewing' and Margaret's theme this week was 'Time'.

I have combined the two challenges and made this mixed media ATC.

The background is a pretty fabric that was sent to me by another crafter, the image is from Seneca Pond Crafts, the embellishments, lace and ribbon were from my stash.

April Evening

This week has passed so quickly! Have been catching up with a few jobs and have been taking advantage of the beautiful weather we've had.

I spent Friday in the garden and yesterday I was where I love to be on a warm sunny day - on a bowling green! We were invited to Opening Day at Southport BC and it was a really lovely afternoon and a great start to the outdoor season.

Today has seen us back out in the garden - am hoping to do a bit of crafting this evening but in the meantime I popped out, camera in hand and took a few pics of part of the garden in the evening sunshine.

The magnolia is one of my favourite plants - I adore the flowers and am real sorry they don't last all year! When I planted this shrub it was a mere 2 feet tall!

Isn't the double daffoldil just 'peachy' ?! (In more ways than one!)

I remember buying the yellow flowered plant a couple of years ago... it's now spread itself into several parts of one of the borders.. it only lasts during spring, but I love the huge glossy leaves and the tiny flowers... I just wish I could remember what it was called! I think it's an orchid of some description.... but whatever it is, it has certainly made itself at home!

Dreams

Maggies challenge this week was to make an ATC using this beautiful image of a young girl.

As soon as I saw it I thought about how innocent childhood is and it just seemed so apt to make a 'thoughtful' ATC with it. Children have such wonderful imaginations and because they are so untroubled by all the humdrum of daily life can allow their thoughts to raom free.

I used a background from the Flickr collage pool - I don't normally use the colour green a lot so this is a bit of a change for me.

After adding the image this quote from W.B.Yeats came into my mind -

'I have spread my dreams beneath your feet, Tread softly because you tread on my dreams'

and it seemed to capture everything about the expression on the child's face and the thoughts behind her trusting eyes.

To complete the ATC I added some vintage lace, a silk flower and 'cobwebby' fibres in an attempt to carry on the 'Dreams' theme throughout.

I have also entered this into the challenge on Saturday Suprise this week as the theme is 'Childhood'.

I hope this child, whoever she was, achieved her dreams.